Study Plan for Master in Applied Computer Science (120 ECTS) (2023–2025)

What do you learn?

Degree/title obtained

Students that complete and pass the programme are awarded the degree of Master in Applied Computer Science.

Some students will also have the right to use the protected title sivilingeniør after graduation if they fulfil the following requirements:

• Completed a bachelor's degree in computer engineering based on the national curriculum regulations or an equivalent education that meets the minimum requirements of 25 ECTS mathematics, 7,5 ECTS physics and 5 ECTS statistics.

The additional title sivilingeniør will be stated in the diploma.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge

The candidate has

• deep knowledge about research and development within the field of applied computer science;
• advanced knowledge about literature and methods used within the field of applied computer science.

Skills

The candidate is able to

• work independently with a problem statement over an extended period of time;
• analyse a situation, formulate a problem statement, and develop a plan for solving the problem;
• create models and implement them in a digital environment;
• make realistic and feasible plans by considering possibilities, limitations and use of time;
• collect and analyse relevant information with emphasis on source criticism
• present research and results clearly and unambiguous within the field of applied computer science;
• formulate his/her own and other people's reflections and solutions within the field of applied computer science.

General competence

The candidate

• has retained and further developed his/her academic curiosity, knowledge, openness and precision as well as the ability to distinguish between knowledge and opinions;
• is capable of critical reflection on ethical, scientific and philosophical issues within the field of applied computer science;
• has gained knowledge of scientific literature, methods and theories within the field of applied computer science;
• can communicate knowledge clearly in writing as well as orally.

Admission

A bachelor's degree or an equivalent education of at least 180 ECTS credits,
and in addition or included at least 80 ECTS credits in informatics,
and in addition or included at least 20 ECTS credits in programming

To be admitted, the applicant must have an average grade value from the qualifying education of at least 25 (according to ECTS standards).
Proof of English proficiency is also required.

In addition, all applicants must pass both a written essay and an online entrance test.

Applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA must submit proof of funding when submitting their application.

Structure and content

The structure and content of the programme

In the first semester, students select two courses from one of the following four specialisations:

• Interaction Design
• Artificial Intelligence
• Internet of Things
• Cyber Security

In addition, all students have a common course in scientific methods, ethics and writing.

In the second semester, students continue in the specialisation selected in the first semester. In addition, students work with an interdisciplinary project together with students from other specialisations. This project is either a project defined by the research groups at the department or a business project defined by one of our business partners. Students also have an elective course in the second semester.

In the third and fourth semester, the students are given the possibility to choose between a long master’s thesis (60 ECTS) or an exchange semester and a short master’s thesis (30 ECTS) 

In order to qualify for the master's thesis, students must have passed at least 50 ECTS from the first year of study.

Teaching, learning methods and forms of assessment

Learning partly takes place through seminars and traditional lectures. Additionally, it will take other forms:

• student-led seminars
• projects

Each student's benefit from this type of organisation will depend on the student's own efforts and interest. The student must show interest in his/her professional development, and must be able to work independently with theory, implementation and knowledge acquisition.

The students are offered supervision in all courses in the master programme. Master students are expected to take initiatives and approach tutors, and be responsible for their own learning.

A modern library is available for all students at Østfold University College. The library helps the students in developing their information competence, i.e. the ability to search, find, evaluate and use relevant information. In addition to personal service, the students are offered library courses on international databases and evaluation of information quality. They are also offered courses in scientific referencing.

Compulsory assignments
Some of the courses have requirements for attendance and/or compulsory assignments, exercises and projects. These assignments have to be completed and approved before taking the final examination. More details regarding compulsory assignments are found in the course descriptions.

Academic writing
The students will be trained in academic writing throughout the study programme. This is done by emphasising content, structure, reliability, and referencing.

Continuous feedback
The taught courses include exercises, assignments and projects, completed either individually or in groups. The students are given feedback on all exercises, assignments and projects.

Assessment
Final assessment takes several forms: written individual examination, portfolio assessment, project assessment, oral examination, or a combination of these. The grading scale used is the A - F scale.

Upon agreement with the instructor you may in some cases use Norwegian for your hand ins and/or exams.

More details regarding assessment are found in the course descriptions.

Plagiarism control/ cheating
Master's theses are subject to electronic plagiarism control, as may also be the case with other courses and required coursework. Exam papers that are partly or entirely identical will not be approved and will be regarded as cheating. For further information please see Exam regulations for Østfold University College.

Research and development work

The master programme is based on research activities at the department, but is also contributes to our research. All courses in the first year are directly related to the research performed at the department. This implies that our courses are continually developed and always up to date.

The master theses are always based on research and development performed at the department or at one of our partners. Students may get the opportunity to participate in the department´s research projects, as well as to carry out a business project with a relevant IT company. Papers written by students have on several occasions led to scientific publications.

Internationalisation

The international aspect is taken care of by the use of international literature. In addition, several members of the academic staff have close contacts with foreign institutions and research environments. The language of instruction is entirely in English, and therefore accommodates the needs of foreign students.

Programme evaluation

To be able to offer relevant education of good quality, HiØ is dependent on feedback from the students and their participation in course and program evaluations. This study programme is regularly evaluated in order to assure and develop its quality:

• An annual national student survey is conducted among second year students on all bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes by the Norwegian Agency for Quality Assurance in Education (NOKUT). The results of the survey are published on the website studiebarometeret.no.
• Østfold University College conducts periodic evaluations of the study program as a whole.
• Evaluations are carried out in all individual courses; see the individual course descriptions for more details.
  We are in need of feedback from our students, and that you participate in the different evaluations that we arrange.

Reading list

See separate course descriptions.

Course literature is subject to change until 15th of May for autumn courses, and 15th of November for spring courses.

Studies abroad

Students may take their third semester of their studies at a university abroad. Both the International Coordinator at the department as well as HiØ's International Office help accommodate studies abroad, and the department have exchange agreements with several universities in Europe, USA, Canada and Australia. Detailed information on exchange opportunities at universities abroad can be found on HiØ's international pages.

Work and future studies

The master's programme qualifies for PhD-studies in Norway and abroad. Different admission requirements may apply at different universities.

A master degree from us provides opportunities for leading positions within application development, web development, consulting and project management in leading IT companies in Norway and abroad. It also qualifies for work in the public sector, for instance in the fields of research, health and education.

The study plan is approved and revised

The study plan is approved

Dean Harald Holone, 27.October 2020

The study plan is revised

Head of Department, Monica Kristiansen Holone, October 25, 2022

The study plan applies to

The programme description applies to the period 2023-2025 (master’s programme starting in Autumn 2023)

 

Programme Coordinator

Faculty of Computer Science, Engineering and Economics.
Head of Department, Monica Kristiansen Holone